Chief executive, Barry’s Bootcamp

Words & Photography Markus Bidaux

BUSINESS PROFILE

Barry’s Bootcamp was founded 20 years ago in West Hollywood and has become a hotspot for celebrities such as Ellie Goulding and David Beckham.

Joey Gonzalez discovered the boutique fitness studio in 2003 and was soon asked to become an instructor, then moved up the ranks until he became the company’s chief executive. He has cultivated a brand that has grown in the gay neighbourhoods of Los Angeles, San Diego and New York City and expanded it to 40 studios worldwide. We met with Joey, when he was in the UK to launch London’s third Barry’s Bootcamp, to discuss how he has built the brand into a global powerhouse.

What is the concept of Barry’s Bootcamp?

At the heart is the ethnicity of the workout. We prioritise cardiovascular as much as strength training whereas most people do one or the other. The cardio works your heart and lungs and it is great for burning fat; the strength training is good for your bone density and metabolism. When you leave here your workout continues to burn for the rest of the day. When we started, it wasn’t like it is now, it was a no-frills 300sq ft lobby, which barely anyone could fit in, and a 1,400sq ft studio where you could accommodate 30 people compared with 55 here. It was bare bones, but it survived and it thrived and the reason why was that it worked so well. We had every celebrity you can imagine coming to us. When they had to do an underwear campaign, or had to be naked in a film, their agents would send them to us.